MERS is on the increase

Posted by Dannielle Noonan

At Medibroker, our expert team always have their fingers on the pulse of expat health issues.

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We broker health plans for expats living around the globe, and would like to advise people living in the Middle East and Asia to take extra care of their health.

MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), is on the rise in South Korea. The World Health Organization warned that the MERS outbreak in South Korea is likely to grow, as 1,364 people remained under quarantine Wednesday and confirmed cases grew to 30 people.

The Hong Kong government have also raised their response level regarding MERS from "Alert" to "Serious".

This is the largest outbreak outside of Saudi Arabia, and our international health insurance help team advise that expats living in any affected area ensure they have comprehensive health cover.

"Both the Middle East and South Korea are popular destinations for expats'", said Medibroker advisor Steve Nelson. "While South Korea’s health services are considered to be of a high standard, it’s thought that the disease is spread within hospitals, so expats may want to ensure that their health cover allows them to choose the facility or even country in which they are treated."

MERS: The facts

MERS is in the same family of viruses as SARS and the common cold

The virus is not thought to be spread between humans

MERS has only been detected in humans in the last three years. The first diagnosis was in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

About three to four out of every 10 people reported with MERS have died.

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The virus causes similar symptoms to the SARS virus - fever, coughing and pneumonia. The majority of cases have been seen in Saudi Arabia but the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar have also had reported incidents. The World Health Organisation is advising care when in the vicinity of animals, especially in farms or barn areas. Meticulous personal hygiene is also recommended.